Combined automatic cut-off switch and lamp-socket.



' F. 0. STALLMAN. C COMBINED AUTOMATIC OUT-OPF. SWITCH AND LAMP SOCKET. APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 19, 1912.

1,039,835. i, Patented O@t.1,1912.

M l y;

ATTORNEY P. o. STALLMAN.

COMBINED AUTOMATIC CUT-OFF SWITCH AND LAMP SOCKET.

m' y 4" 4l WITNESSBS ADPLICATIQN FILED JUNE 19, 1912.

lPailentedl Oct. 1, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

www,

UNITED STATES raTnnT onirica.

FRANK STALL-MAN, 0F SAN FRANC/IBICO, CALIFORNIA.

- OLIBINED AUTGMATIC OUT-OFF SWITCH AND LAMP-SOCKET.

Speocation of Letters Patenti.

Patented Oct. 1, 1912.

Application tiled` June 19, 1912. Serial o. 704,568.

switch and' lamp socket and particularly to a combined cut-oil" switch and lamp vsocket adapted to be employed in all places such as cellars, vaults and the like, where one is apt to turn on the electric current for the light, and then when through with the same forget to turnthe current oil; and the principal object of the invention -being to prothe formation of an arc within the socket,

which is liable to injure the same.

With the above Amentioned and other ob- -jects in view,'.the invention consists in the .novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the. accoinpanyin drawings, and pointed out in the claims creto appended; it-bei'ng understood that various changes f in the forni, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the apa longitudinal sectional View taken through vide` a simple, inexpensive and durable lamp the center of the device, disclosing the various parts in their respective positions, when the contact points are disengaged from each other and the light is out.v Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with the parts in their respective positions after the operator has pulled the movable portion of the socket, completed the circuit of the contacts, and the light is lighted. Fig. 4, isa longitudinal sectional view taken on line 1 /lf, F ig. 3, disclosing the pin carried by the piston rod, and in contact with the movable portion of the socket for restoring the same to its nor? mal position after being pulled down- Wardly.

In the drawings, the reference numerals 1 and 2 indicate the insulated pendent wires connected to a suitable source of electricity, and extending through an opening 3 formed in the upper end vof a metallic cap'3 adapted to be detachably secured over a metallic' casing 4, the lower portionshof said wires extending close to the inner walls of said casing 4 and secured respectively. at their lower ends to connectors 5 and 6, which are in turn secured in suitable cut out portions 7 in each side of an insulating porcelain 8 by suitable` securing screws 9 and 10, the porcelain being'sccured within the upper end of a cylindrical socket portion 11 in any suitable manner, and said socket is 4provided at its open end with suit-able screw threads 1Q adapted to receive the base of the usual incandescent globe 13, the upper portion of the socket portion 11 adapted for reciprocation within the metallic casing si, as in Fig. 2.

i, uitablc spring fingers 14 and 15 are secured between their respective connectors 5 and and the porcelain insulating block S, and saidfingers are each provided with an outwardly flared portion ladjacent their free ends and project in spaced relation to each other, through 'an annular centrally ar-r ranged bore 16 to a point adjacent the outer end of said porcelain, and are adaptedto be thrown into Contact, in a hereinafter described manner, with suitable'contacts 17 and 18 secured to the outer face of the 'porcelain 8, the contact 17 adapted for engage-- ment Withthe usual central contact portion of a lamp, and the contact 17l providing a fortiori of the usual screw.. thread contact or the lamp.

Extending transversely the top of the ico casing'tis' a plate 19, provided in its center with a downwardly projecting threaded screw 20 having a tapered point or needle valve 2l at its lower end, which extends through and is adapted to be seated ina 5 correspondingly tapered opening 22 1n the upper end wall of a closed barrel 23, the end wall carrying a circular internally screw threaded bore 24 adapted to fit over the screw 20, and said bore is provided with a small outlet opening 25 in one side thereof adjacent its lower edge, for the escape of the air within said barrel.

Mounted to reciprocate in the barrel 23 'is a piston 26 formed with the fiexible annular washer packing 26 and provided with a iston rod 27, the lower end of which is adapted to slide within an elongated slot 28, formed within a cylindrical supporting shaft 29, projecting downwardly from the underside of the barrel 23.

A pin is inserted through a suitable opening in the lowerA end of the piston rod 27 and the ends thereofproject through each side of the slot 28 and are adapted to engage 254 the underside of ahorizontal upper or roof Aportion 31 of the socket member 11. The portion 31 of the socket 11 is formed with a suitable opening through awhich is adapted to reciprocate the 'i ember 29 extending 30 from the underside o1' the barrel 23. A

coiled spring 32 is positioned within the bar.

r rel 23 betweenV the underside of the piston 26 and the bottom of theA barrel 23, and sur rounds the piston rod 27 forcing said pis 35 ton and the parts carried thereby upwardly. A cylindric'l member or sleeve 33 extends upwardly from the roof 31 and the same is provided with outwardly projecting vertically extending grooves 34 arranged at dia- 40 metrically opposite sides thereof and in which are adapted to slide suitable lugs 35 projecting outwardly from the ljsides of the barrel 23.

The cylindrical member 29 is provided with a contracted lower end 3G on which is slidably mounted a suitable circular spreader or switch 37 of non conducting material of a, diameter slightly larger than the space between the spring lingers 14 and 15, the Spreader being secured on said lower end by a screw 38.

From the above description it will be ob served that the parts being in the position disclosed in Fig. 2, and it is desired to light the light,the operator by pulling the socket member downwardly, which carries withv it the porcelain member 8 and the spring lingers 14 and l5 will move the flared portion .15 of the fingers 1aland 15 beyond the spreader 27 and the same will engage the straight portions of the fingers and force the same into engagement with their respective' contacts, thus completing the circuit to the lamp and lighting the light, and during this operation it will also be observed that the pin 30 extending through thev piston rod 27 below the roof 31 will draw downwardly in the slot 28 carrying with -it the piston 26 vand compressing the spring 32 and drawing air in the upper portion of the barrel 23. The closin speed or tra-vel of the piston is l regulated y turning the socket portion 11 either to the right or left thereby closing or opening the needle 'valve 21 relative to its seat 22 and permitting the escape of more or/ 75 less air through the outlet opening 25. will also be observed by reference to Figs. and 3', that when the socket member is pulled downwardly the switch or spreader 37 will be,'by frictional contact with the spring 50 lingers 14 and 15, moved on its supporting shaft Ainto contact with the retaining screw 38, but upon the return movement of the plunger, by the action of the coiled spring 32, the spreader will be drawn to the oppo- 85 site end of its supporting shaft and when said spreader reaches the point of said fingers 14 and 15 where the outwardly flaring portions 15 begin, the spreader will be rapidly forced by the action of the spring fingers thereon, toward the retaining screw 38 thereby permitting the free ends of the spring fingers 14 and 15to quickly disengage from their respective contacts and ey so doing quickly breaking the circuit to the lamp.

A spring indicating finger 39 is secured -to the outer surface of thc socket portion 11, extends over the casing- 4f and is adapted to be seated in suitable serrations 10 100 extending circumferentially of the lowerv edge of said casing 4, and the upper or free end of saicl.tinger is adapted, when said finger is seated in said Serrations. to lie opposite certain graduations 41 on the outer 105 surface of the casing, the graduations indicating the interval of time the light will remain lighted, if lighted, when the finger ispointing to the same. y l

ll'hile the Ilower ends of the wires 1 and 110 2 are secured to the connectors and the upper portions thereof are arranged so'1ne-/ whats ackfwithin the casing to allow for the downward movement of the socketI portion thereof, the upper portion of the said wires being held to the casing in any suitable manner.

Inasmuch as a nut 27 of small diameter holds the packing 2G to the piston 26, the flexible Apacleing gives inwardly on the downward movement of the piston and permits the air to by-pass from the under face of the piston, thereby providing against a vacuum being created during such stroke of the said piston,

Having thus fully described my invention what is claimed as new and is desired to be protected by Leiters Patent is- 1. ln an electric light circuit havingv a lamp and plug, the combination of a casing 130 ception-of the lamp plug, lamp contacts assoeiat'edvvith said socket, contact fingers associated with said larnp cont-acts and normally 1n spaced relation thereto, means carl ried by the stationary port-ion for forcing losaid contactfingers into yengagement with their respective lamp contacts upon the reciprocation ofl said movable" portion, and pressure 'actuated means for maintaining said contact fingers in their enga-ged position for a pre-determined period.

2. In. an electric light circuit having a f lamp andplugfthe combination of a casing comprising ap'stationaiy portion and a movable portion capable of reclprocatlon Wlth- 2o in said stationary portion and having at its A., lower end a. threaded socket for the recepftion of the lamp plug, vlamp contacts assoelated with saidy socket, cont-act. fingers asl-sociated wlth said lamp contacts and nor- 251 mally in spaced relation thereto, means carried by the stationary portion for forcing -said contact fingers into engagement with their respective lamp contacts upon the reciprocation of said] movable portion, presM 3o sure aetuatedmeans for maintaining said contact fingers in theirfengaged position for a pre-determined period, and means tor controlling the-actuation of said pressure actuated means.

3. In an electric light circuit having a lamp and plug, the combination of acasing 'comprising a stationary portion and a movable portion capable of reciprocation within said stationary portion and having at its 40 lower end a threaded socket for the reccption of the lamp plug, a barr'el rotatably mounted Within said stationary portion and on which said movable portion rcciprocates, lamp contacts associated with said soci 1ct,

contact fingers associated wit-hsaid lamp contacts and normally 'in spaced relation thereto, means projecting .from said barrel for forcing said contact lingers into engagement with their respective lamp contacts upon the reciprocation of said movable portion, pressure actuated means for maintaining said contact fingers in their engaged position, and means controllable upon the rotation of said barrel for timing the operation of said pressure actuated means.

in said stationary portion and having atits lower end a threaded socket for the reception of the lamp plug, a barrel rotatably mounted within said stationary portion and on which said movable portion reciprocates,

lamp contacts associated with said socket,

contact fingers associated with said lamp contacts and normally in spaced relation thereto, meansprojecting from said barrel for forcing said contact fingers into engagement with their respective lamp contacts upon the reciprocation of said movable portion, and a pressure actuated piston mounted within said barrel and connected to said movable portion for maintaining vsaid contact fingers in their engaged position for a predetermined period. j

5. In an electric light circuithaving a lamp and plug, the combination of a cas- .ing comprising a stationary portion and a movable portion capable of reciprocation within said stationary portion and having at its lower end a threaded socket for the reception of the lamp plug, a barrel rotatably mounted within said stationary portion and on which said'movable portlon reciprocates, lamp contacts associated with said socket, contact fingers associated with said lamp contacts and normally in spaced relation thereto, means projecting from said barrel fororcing said contact fingers into engagement with their. respective lamp contacts upon the reeiprocation of said movable portion, a pressure actuated piston mounted within said barrel and` connected to said movable portion for maintaining said contact .fingers in their engaged position for a predetermined period, and a valve controllable by the rotation of said barrel for timing the operation of said pressure actuated piston. Y

6. In an electric light circuit. having a lamp and plug, the combination of a caslng comprising a stationary portion and a movable portion capable ot' reeiproeation Within said stationary portion and having at its lower end a threaded socket for the reception of the' lamp plug, a barrel mounted within saidstationary portion anti on which said movable portion reciproeates', lamp contacts associated with said socket, spring contact fingers associated with said lamp eo'ntacts and normally in spaced relation thereto, a supporting shaft projecting from said barrel and extending between said spring contact fingers, means slidably mounted on said shaft for forcing said spring contact fingers into engagement with their respective lamp contacts upon the reeiprocation of said movable part in one direction and capable of a sudden disengagementfrom said spring fingers upon the reeiprocation of said movable part in the opposite direction, and

pressure actuated means Within said barrel for maintaining said Contact iingcrs in their engaged posit-ion for a predetermined period. j

7 In an electric light circuit having a lamp and plug, the combination of a casing comprising a stationary portion and a movable portion capable of reciprocation Within said stationary portion and having at its lower end a socket for the reception of the lamp plug, lamp contacts associated with said socket, spring contact fingers associated with said lamp contacts and normally in spaced relation thereto, a supporting shaft associated with said stationary portion and extending between said spring contact iingers, and means slidably mounted on said shaft for forcing said spring Contact fingers into engagement with their respective lamp contacts upon the reciprocation of said movable part in oneV direction and capable of sudden disengagement from said spring ingers upon the reciprocation of said movable part in the opposite direction.

8. In an electric light circuit having a lamp and plug, the combination of a casing comprising a stationary portion and a movable portion capable ot reciprocation within said stationary portion and having at its lower end a socket for the reception of the lamp plug, lamp contacts associated with said socket, spring contact fin ers associated normally 1n for forcing said spring contact fingers into engagement With their respective lamp contacts upon the reciprocation of said movable part in one direction and capable of sudden disengagement from said spring fingers upon the reciprocation of said movable part in the opposite direction, and pressure act-u'- ated means for maintaining said contact fingers in engaged position for a predetermined period.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK O. STALLMAN.

Witnesses N. A. ACKER, D. B. RICHARDS. 

